Norfolk, Va. - Coach Bobby Wilder and the Old Dominion University football team have partnered with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) to add ODU students, faculty and staff and the Norfolk community to the bone marrow registry, where they can potentially capitalize on the opportunity of a lifetime - the opportunity to save a life.

The Monarchs will host the ODU Football Bone Marrow Drive on Wednesday, April 22 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the River Rooms at Webb Center.

"The football program is thrilled to be a part of this program on behalf of Old Dominion University and our Monarch outreach program," said Wilder. "I asked our players this question: `If you could save a life, would you do it?' When every hand in the meeting went up, I knew they wanted to help in any way they could. I hope everyone will join Old Dominion and our Monarch Football team for this very important day!"

On any given day, more than 6,000 men, women and children are searching the NMDP Registry for a life-saving donor. These patients have leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases that can be treated by a bone marrow or cord blood transplant. For many of these patients, a transplant may be the best and only hope of a cure.

The test is a simple cheek swab, no blood or needles are involved. There is no cost to be tested and the procedure takes no more than 20 minutes.

For additional information on the ODU Football Bone Marrow Drive or the NMDP, contact Jackie Barrow at jbarrow@odu.edu or 757-683-3359.